Celtic’s win against Feyenoord was the kind of victory that Hoops fans have come to *not* expect.
Martin O’Neill’s side needed a win in the Europa League, and have come back from a notoriously difficult venue with all three points.
The win is especially impressive as Celtic recovered from adversity. Ayase Ueda opened the scoring for Robin van Persie’s side after just ten minutes.
Yang Hyun-Jun’s first European goal levelled the scoring, before outstanding pressing from Daizen Maeda gave Reo Hatate an open net to put the Celts in front before half-time.
Benjamin Nygren sealed the victory in the second-half, and after the game, van Persie was seen in a classy gesture with the interim Hoops boss.
Robin van Persie’s classy embrace with van Persie after Feyenoord vs Celtic
The difference in managerial experience between the two bosses is stark, and on the night, it showed.
It was a fourth defeat in five for van Persie, who was a surprise appointment at De Kuip in February when he replaced Brian Priske.
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Van Persie is a legend as a player, having excelled for Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United, winning the title with the latter.
He also racked up a stunning 50 goals for the Dutch national side across over 100 caps, surpassing Patrick Kluivert as the nation’s all-time top goalscorer.
And across such a stellar career, he clearly learnt how to be gracious in defeat, as evidenced by his embrace with O’Neill after the match on Thursday.
Robin van Persie’s classy embrace with Martin O’Neill
In typical Martin O’Neill fashion, the Celtic manager calls him a “very fine player”. It really is a wholesome moment.
Van Persie played at Celtic Park twice in his career, once with Arsenal in a Champions League qualifier, before returning for a Europa League tie with Feyenoord six years later.
But as a Rotterdam-born Feyenoord fan, he will be more concerned than anyone about his side’s defeat.
Feyenoord and Celtic in the Europa League
The result lifted the Hoops into the qualification places of the League Phase ahead of their final three matches.
Given the difficult upcoming fixtures against Bologna and Roma, it really was an essential result for the Hoops, who need roughly four points to guarantee qualification.
For Feyenoord, it’s a different story. The result left them on three points after five games, languishing four points away from the top 24.
It’s now likely that they need three wins from their remaining three fixtures against FCSB, Sturm Graz and Real Betis.
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